including a meeting at the white house with congressional leaders to try to prevent the fiscal

cliff from happening. but with just four days left until everybody's taxes go up, there's not a lot of optimism that it can be cone in time. jonathan karl, abc news, new york. tributes are pouring in for retired general norman schwartzcopf. the general, nicknamed stormin' norman, died yesterday in tampa from pneumonia. he commanded a coalition of some 30 countries that drove iraqi forces from kuwait back in 1991. in retirement, he supported charitable causes and resisting calls to rub for public office. norman schwartzcopf was 78. for the second time this month, a man has been pushed to his death in the path of a new york subway train. last night, a woman shoved the man on the tracks just as the train was pulling into the station on queens. it's not clear if she knew the victim. new york police are reviewing surveillance video recorded on the platform to try to identify

the victim and the suspect. >> this is the second time this happened this month. the first one happened in times square. this one happened in queens. i love the fact that new york city has a subway system. but every time i'm putting my back against the wall. >> you're not the only one. there are people now that are watching their back. we don't know who the person next to you is, and who knows what can happen? >> who would do that? well, union dock workers who keep all the cargo working in those busy sea ports are threatening to go on strike. a walkout could close ports from houston to boston. it would cripple shipping operations, and of course, impact the economy as early as next week. the union has been work without a contract since september and as many as 14,000 workers could hit the picket line starting this sunday. big retailers have agreed to recall baby recliners which have a deadly defect. 150,000 nap nanny infant

recliners are being blamed for at least five deaths and dozens of reports of babies falling, as well. the recliners have been on sale for about four years, and retailers agreed to this recall after the manufacturer went out of business. parents should return it for a refund. a florida dad is angry after the christmas present he bought at a pawnshop for his teenage daughter had some x-rated extras. turns out the tablet george sanchez purchased was loaded with hard core porn. computer experted tried to delete them but unable to restore them to factory settings. the pawnshop says it was sold as is and no returns. i would be angry too, if you bought that for something and there was porn on it. >> people who do sexting and send photos may think they wipe this stuff out, but it just never happens. you never know. something like this could

happen. >> nothing is ever deleted. there's always a way for people to go back in and find that stuff. you give a gift to your daughter, she was a teenager. >> yeah. not good. now a rather unique personality to introduce you to. he is sandy, 82 years young he should say. and ladies, he's back on the market. if you're looking for love, he's looking for a wife and he's wearing that sign around his neck that says so. >> that's not so bad. he said she's got to be 60 years old, has to live in town, love books and a sense of humor. >> obviously with that. >> he's been married before. he was married and divorce three times by the age of 39. >> wow. he says that he's "cleaned up his act" and ready to head down the aisle again. it's cute if you're that age. if there's a 30-year-old dude wearing that, i don't know about that. >> what is that like?

that's like an elderly person's version of craigslist. >> it looks like he's got his act together. he's cute. if you messed up three times before you're 40, this could be it for you. good luck. there's somebody out there for you. coming up, the vegetable, this is a good one. all of you are getting ready for new year's. we'll tell you about the secret vegetable that can treat your new year's hangover. the nfl coach known for his winning spirit after facing a personal battle. he speaks out next, on "world news now." [ male announcer ] playing in the nfl is tough.

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welcome back, everyone. before we wrap up the week, we wanted to bring you what's got to be the most -- the best feel-good story of the year in the nfl. the indianapolis colts' coach chuck pagano is making his return to the sidelines on sunday. >> that's right. he left the team about three months ago to battle leukemia. he sat down to talk about his recovery with rachell nichols of espn. >> you're in sports. you're a fit guy. what were you used to being able to do, the simplest things that you couldn't do anymore? >> we probably can't talk about some of them on camera. but you know, getting out of bed, going to the restroom, go brush your teeth. you know, things like that. it physically fares ytears you

the point where you lose 20 to 25 pounds and you atrophy. >> i imagine it's like scoreboard watching when you're a coach. >> the doctor came in and said your counts are starting to come up. i said how good are they? he said good enough to go home. so you're like -- it's like a day early. so any way, he says what time is the game? and i said, we play at 1:00 today. he said you should be out of here by noon, and make it home in time to see the game from home. >> and you get to sit in front of your own television, in your own living room and watch the indianapolis colts play. >> yeah, it was awesome. it was a great day.

it was a great day. >> wow. >> the emotions from these guys, big guys out there on the football field and know that he fought back. >> so emotional to see life intersect with sports in a way like that. it just puts everything into perspective. >> by the way, the colts have done pretty well in his absence. they're 10-5 and clenched a playoff spot. so everyone rooting for them and the coach, as well. >> and we'll have more about pagano later this morning. that full interview will air this sunday on espn starting at 10:00 a.m. eastern time. coming up, something of a newly minted power couple. >> they've known each other for decades and now they've finally worked together.

♪

that is bette midler belting it out there. she stars with billy crystal in a new film called "parental guidance." >> they hadn't worked together until now. abc's cynthia mcfadden caught up with both of them. >> reporter: we met up with bette midler and billy crystal at the same theater to talk about their new film "parental guidance." >> i was surprised when i read that you never worked together before. >> it never came up. you had meg ryan. what did you need with me? now you're older. >> that's true. >> reporter: but they are two stars whose stars never crossed. until now. >> it was a thrill that you offered me the gig. >> well, there was no one else. >> reporter: the film also

starred three adorable kids and marisa tomei as their uptight mother. but this suspect just about the laughs. >> as the great yogi berra once said, it about over until it's over. >> reporter: crystal plays arty, a minor league baseball announcer. >> he lost his job, his dream has faded and he passes this on to the young grandson, who then does it. they can cut that part out. who then finds himself. >> spoiler alert. >> reporter: the new film was an idea hatched out by crystal, from an experience with his real-life wife. >> there's a real moment where i'm coloring in the coloring book. that happened to me with dilan. she was 4 at the time. >> honey, draw whatever your imagination tells you.

>> what's the matter with you? that's beautiful. absolutely beautiful. >> picasso. >> there aren't winners and losers, we all just want to play. >> i think the new way of raising kids has some great things, no abuse, no beating, no saying you'll never amount to anything. all that is -- i'm glad a lot of that is gone. >> reporter: before you brush off their parental guidance, consider this -- >> i love getting a chance to make this. i appreciate everything that i do a lot better than i did when i was 40. >> you take nothing for granted. >> reporter: you sound like a happy man. >> getting there, getting there. >> interesting. bette midler has chirp but not grand children. >> not a chance to see him as a minor league baseball announcer.

that's almost a role perfect for him. okay. coming up, curing a hangover by eating one vegetable. it's time to change the way we clean.

it's time to free ourselves from the smell and harshness of bleach. and free ourselves from worrying about the ones we love. new lysol power & free has more cleaning power than bleach. how? the secret is the hydrogen peroxide formula. it attacks tough stains and kills 99.9% of germs. new lysol power & free. powerful cleaning that's family friendly. another step forward in our mission for health.

so we are now in "the mix." the best part of being here has been able to co-host with you. >> thank you, muhammad. this has been fun. >> we want to bring you the dumb criminal of the year award. this is a thief in france. stole christmas presents from a car. he left his phone in that car. he wanted his phone back, so he want to the police to report a missing phone. guess who was at the station but the people who he just stole from? and then this. you want the hangover cure.

drumroll. it's asparagus. accord fog the institute of medical science in south korea, thank you, south korea, asparagus and the minerals found in there extract -- it helps filter. that is why your pee sometimes smells different after you -- i'm just saying. >> and we have plenty of unique polkas this past year. this one started with our maestro, barry mitchell. ♪ who needs flowers, who needs sweets ♪ ♪ it's the valentine's polka ♪ seems like just the 1% are making all the bucks ♪ ♪ like the vampire said

the economy sure sucks ♪ ♪ that's the paula polka everyone sing. ♪ that's the paula polka ♪ we love to read your comments always in such a large amount ♪ ♪ you like us, we like you, it's the facebook polka ♪ ♪ it's late at night, you're wide awake and you're not wearing pants ♪ ♪ so everybody dance ♪ that's the "world news now" polka ♪ yeah!

this morning on "world news now," urgent meeting. the president orders lawmakers to top level negotiations to avoid the fiscal cliff. >> it's just four days until a pending financial fiasco that would cost every single american. it's friday, december 28. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good morning, and happy friday. i'm brandi hitt in for paula faris. >> and i'm muhammad lila in for rob nelson. brandi, we made it through the week. still got a half hour left, but we made it and it's been great. >> and then you head back to d.c. today. >> and you're going to l.a. >> so we'll be leaving you. >> it's been a wild ride. >> it's been a lot of fun. >> absolutely. now let's just make it through

this half hour. coming up, we're going to hear from the vocal players in washington awaiting today's fiscal cliff negotiations. that is our top story. then we'll remember stormin' norman schwartzcopf, one of the nation's best known warriors. while leading troops to battle, he's lost his battle with pneumonia. blown away by an oncoming tornado. take a look. it was recorded outside an alabama store. and it shows, oh, my gosh, the powerful winds as inspectors assess the damage from the christmas storms. we'll have more of that coming up for you later. and later this half hour, 'tis the season to see the holiday blockbuster films. we're going to reveal some money making secrets of movie theaters. you'll want to tune in and see how you can avoid them. >> how you can save a buck and a warning about some of the > first, new details on the last-ditch effort to avoid the fiscal cliff. the president is meeting with top lawmakers today at the white

house. >> underscoring that urgency, house speaker john boehner says the house will meet in a rare sunday session. >> reporter: it may already be too late. days before the fiscal cliff, and with the house of representatives out of town until sunday, senate majority leader harry reid admitted a deal seems unlikely. >> i have to be very honest, mr. president, i don't know time wise how it can happen now. >> reporter: in a scathing attack, reid called house speaker john boehner a dictator, and blamed him for letting members stay home with no deal in sight. >> we are here in washington, working. while the members of the house of representatives are out watching movies and watching their kids play soccer and basketball. john boehner seems to care more about keeping his speakership. >> reporter: the republican leader responded saying it's democrats who failed to lead.

>> make no mistake, the only reason the democrats have been trying to deflect attention onto me and my colleagues is that they don't have a plan of their own. >> reporter: president obama returned to washington for a last-minute push before leaving vacation in hawaii, he had separate phone conversations with congressional leaders. but it's not clear the talks helped. house republican leaders say they'll take action on whatever bill the senate can pass. but the senate must act first. brandi and muhammad? >> thank you. oh, to be a fly on the wall today in that meeting when it all happens. >> we've been talking all week about this going down to the deadline. i mean, we are right at that deadline. this is going to be a photo finish. >> and if the house ends up adjourning, it usually takes 48 hours to be called back. so the timing is really key here. whatever happens today could be the deciding factor. >> a lot of it comes down to who is going to blink first. >> if either side each does.

also making headlines today, retired general norman schwartzcopf has died from pneumonia. known as stormin' norman, schwartzcopf commanded the u.s. led international coalition that drove saddam hussein's forces out of kuwait in 19ed 1. president obama was among those praising schwartzcopf's long career as a military leader, saying in part he was a true american original who stood tall for the country and the army that he loved. norman schwartzcopf died in tampa. he was 78 years old. now to former president george h.w. bush's medical condition. the chief of staff says mr. bush will likely be in the hospital for a while. the 41st president is recovering from a terrible case of bronchitis with a series of complications. he's been in intensive care since sunday, but experts say that's not a bad sign. >> it just means monitoring that needs to be more aggressive. perhaps more nursing care. >> the former president's chief

of staff added that mr. bush is getting excellent medical treatment in houston and he would ask that people "put the harps back in the closet." secretary of state hillary clinton is planning to return to work next week. mrs. clinton has not been seen in public in about two weeks. she's been recuperating at home since suffering a concussion. it happened when she hit her heard during a fainting spell brought on by a stomach virus. overseas now, the united states has temporarily shut down its embassy in the central african republic. rebels advance on the capital and the state department is warning americans to avoid the republic. u.s. citizens already there are told to leave and there are no plans to evacuate u.s. military personnel. now to a terrifying scene for shoppers in friday. if you are afraid of sharks, you may not want to watch this video. this was an indoor tsunami. a huge shark tank burst, sending

broken glass and water crashing into onlookers. more than a dozen people were injured. sadly, the sharks did not survive. >> who thought that was a good idea? the economy could suffer a major blow next week if thousands of union dock workers make good on their threat to strike. a walkout would close every port from boston to houston. that means tons of goods would not be able to move in or out. the contract expired back in september. and it is that time of year again when warnings go out to everyone about the dangers of thin ice. case in point, take a look at this from monroe county, michigan. jim swayze was walking his dogs when one of them went out on the ice and fell in. rescue crews were able to get man and best friend to safety. good to see. >> amazing. glad he made it out okay.

that monster winter storm is now being blamed for east 16 deaths. as heavy snow fell on pittsburgh, air travelers suffered through cancellations and lengthy delays. an american airlines plane ran over a snow patch in pittsburgh and got stuck on the runway for nearly three hours. wouldn't want to be on that flight. and one up to hit by hurricane sandy was under water once again. in sea bright, new jersey, heavy tide filled basements with flad waters several feet deep. and in the south, tornado survivors are cleaning up the damage as abc's matt gutman has this report. >> reporter: this video from a wall greens from here in mobile showing is very gut of a tornado. the wind first blasts around debris. then the funnel, dense with debr debris, begins sucking in cars, slamming them down. inside, this man in uniform, poking his head outside.

then the sprint to safety. miraculously, no one was seriously hurt here or in centerville, mississippi. >> get inside! it's coming through. >> reporter: where a three-mile long twister ripped through trees and houses, stretching from texas to the carolinas, reportedly more than three dozen tornadoes packing winds up to 140 miles per hour with more than 400 homes damaged or destroyed in alabama alone. they're boarding up at mobile's murphy high school but not closing down. matt gutman, abc news, mobile, alabama. >> you look at all the video and there's one storm three miles away and you hear people say i was only 100 yards away. some people are just lucky to be alive. >> when you see that video of the guy that goes out and runs back in, you want to laugh because it's so funny. but imagine how dangerous that is to just walk outside and see this massive thing coming your

way. >> you have to be careful. they're going to continue to assess the damage and see what the cost ends up being, because they had a lot of tornadoes touchdown. let's hope the weather cooperates. for the biggest regularly scheduled party of the year, right here in new york city. >> i think y'all know what we're talking about. times square, new year's eve and take a look. we got a look at workers yesterday. >> the ball is made of waterford crystal and will come down one minute before midnight. a small, intimate crowd of about 1 million people is expected to see it happen in person. you can watch it live right here on abc. what's interesting is all those people out there, most of them aren't native new yorkers. i have one question, and i've always wondered this. where do they go to the bathroom when they're standing out there for hours on end? where do you go to the bathroom? >> yeah, as someone who is

staying not too far from times square, i don't want to know the answer to that question. >> seriously. there's a live picture of times square. that's going to be full of millions of people. do you just wear a diaper? i hate saying that, but if you've got to go, you've got to go. >> i wouldn't be surprised if there's a few people running around in diapers. if you could do new years with any one person in the world, celebrity, world leader, who would that be? >> can i be cheesy? it would be my baby, my husband. i wouldn't want to be with anybody else. seriously. >> good answer. >> your wife? >> yeah, my wife and snoop. >> and snoop. there you go. coming up, hundreds of teachers ended up spending part of their break in a controversial lesson of their own. >> and we'll show you you international politics is stopping capable parents of

adopting children overseas. you're watching "world news now." this is america.

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welcome back. since the newtown, connecticut school attack, there's been plenty of talk about arming teachers and 2/3 of americans believe arming at least one official would be somewhat effective against attacks. >> reporter: the gun is fake. but these utah teachers fear the threats facing their classrooms is very real. 200 of those teachers became students. packing a conference room on their holiday break to learn how to carry a concealed weapon on the job, and how to protect their schools from an armed intruder. >> the safety is the biggest part and to be able to use them appropriately is really high priority for me. >> reporter: utah is one of few states where public schools allow guns on campus. but in the wake of the shooting at sandy hook, the push is on to

add more states to that list. arizona's attorney general wants every school principal or the designee armed. in ohio, applications for shooting courses are up 20%. simply knowing that someone on campus might be carrying a gun could be enough to stop the bad guys. in 1997, an armed high school vice principal in mississippi did manage to stop a shooter. but there was also columbine. 15 people died and the armed security guard on campus could not stop it. >> the nra's blanket call to arm our schools is really nothing more than a distraction. >> reporter: some teachers in utah say they want more gun training. and organizers are already planning another class for the next holiday break. cecilia vega, abc news, los angeles. >> you didn't have any armed

teachers when you grew up, did you? >> i did. i had an armed officer at my high school. and they also had a drug sniffing dog. but i never thought about whether they made me feel safe. >> what do you think now in retrospect, do you think it kept your school safe? >> it may have. i grew up in a small town. we never had too many bad things happen. >> the discussions come up after newtown. i think the question i would ask, where do you draw the line? if it's teachers that are armed, who is to say parents might not say we want to patrol our kid's school? i don't know the answers to that. it's very complicated. >> it is. so that leavestous our facebook question. do you want your child's teacher to be armed in the classroom? this debate is going to continue until we get something going on. because something needs to change with so much happening. coming up, family dreams

frozen. >> thanks to a chilly relationship between the u.s. and russia, the future of a lot of children is hanging in the balance. so details on that, straight ahead.

♪ welcome back, everyone. and welcome is what dozens of american families may not get the chance to do when it comes to children they're hoping to adopt from russia. >> russian president vladamir putin will sign a bill blocki i americans from adopting russian children. >> reporter: when russia bans adoptions to the united states, this is who gets caught in the middle. an american mother and a 5 1/2-year-old orphan with spina

bifida. a little girl who is already learning to count in english and tells her mommy she her. >> i love you, too. >> reporter: kendra skags and her husband last saw paulina a few days ago. now, with the love only a mother can feel, she worries what will happen to her daughter. >> i can't help her. i can't tell her i love her. so it's really hard. >> reporter: americans have adopted over 60,000 russian children since the fall of the soviet union. but russian officials have pointed to the cases of 19 children who died after being adopted by americans. and in 2010, russia erupted in fury after a 7-year-old boy was sent back to russia alone by his american adoptive mother, carrying a note saying he had become too difficult to handle. but children's rights advocates say this new ban is playing politics with the lives of children.

now, with no way of contacting her, she wishes she could send her daughter a simple message. >> i would tell her that we love her and we're going to do everything we can to come back and get her. >> reporter: at the end of the last visit, it was paulina trying to comfort her mother. >> i was trying telling her goodbye. she said don't cry, mommy, be strong. >> reporter: this is the scene playing out in so many homes across america. abc news, moscow. >> i have a confession to make. i've been to moscow and i've been to some orphanages in moscow. it was one of the most moving moments of my life where you see young children caught up in this world that is so much bigger than them and they don't understand it. most of them are under 5 years old and they're scared and usually they've been through a hard time. and watching that story, just makes me think about all these innocent children that are

caught in this political tug of war. >> how do you place them over politics? they should be placed way above any political bickering. we'll be right back. now with a fancy coating that gives you a burst of wildberry flavor. now why make a flavored heartburn pill? because this is america. and we don't just make things you want, we make things you didn't even know you wanted. like a spoon fork. spray cheese. and jeans made out of sweatpants. so grab yourself some new prilosec otc wildberry. [ male announcer ] one pill each morning. 24 hours. zero heartburn. satisfaction guaranteed or your money back. it's time to free ourselves from the smell and harshness of bleach. and free ourselves from worrying about the ones we love. new lysol power & free has more cleaning power than bleach. how? the secret is the hydrogen peroxide formula. it attacks tough stains and kills 99.9% of germs. new lysol power & free.

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zyrtec-d® lets me breath freer, so i can love the air. [ male announcer ] zyrtec-d®. behind the pharmacy counter. no prescription needed. ♪ have your popcorn, we're ready to go. the last weekend of record setting years of the box office. americans, you spent $10.8 billion to see movies, if you can believe it. >> that does not include the popcorn. i don't know who on the crew did this, but thanks. it's fresh and i love it. was it you, willis? you want some? >> no, thank you. >> abc's becky worley has some tips to save you money and time and some calories. ♪ >> reporter: getting lost in a good movie is one of life's

great pleasures. there's some secrets about this place that you should really know. first, your tickets. if you want to save money, by them at sam's or costco or aaa. it can save you 25% or more. and another idea, find a late-run theater. wait a few weeks and you get a five-star discount. if there's a really long line at the box office, bust out your smartphone. apps let you buy tickets on your phone, no printing necessary. this next bit of info is not really a secret, but let's just put it into numbers. when a movie starts at 7:00, that usually means 7:10 or later. those ads they show are a huge profit source for theaters. and the concession stands holds some major secrets. first, the theater makes 40% or more revenue off the food and drinks.

so they're using all the tricks they can to get you to buy. the smell of popcorn. ahhhh. that smell is from coconut oil used in the popper and a flavoring concoction. what's the best seat in the house? audio technicians check the sounds about 2/3 of the way up the theater and in the center. this is the optimal spot for audio. you get too far out over on the sides and maybe the dialogue is too soft and the sound effects are too loud. becky worley, abc news, oakland, california. >> thank you, becky. so here's the deal. you always hear about the box office records. of course, because the tickets are $15 each. why don't they base it on the number of tickets sold? >> that's a very good point. >> that's what i'm wondering. >> ever do anything online with your iphone, ever got tickets? >> no.

this morning on "world news now," remembering stormin' norman. the army general who led operation desert storm in 1991 has died. >> tributes are coming in now for norman schwartzcopf, the commander who helped run saddam hussein's forces out of kuwait in just six weeks. it's friday, december 28. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good morning. it is friday morning. the abc bosses are asleep for some reason they let me and brandi be at the controls today and i'm liking it. i'm muhammad lila in for rob nelson. >> and i'm brandi hitt in for paula faris. she's on assignment. this is our last day on the desk together, my friend. >> it's been great. >> it has been great. but you still haven't got much sleep. >> i'm on like three hours sleep.

but our viewers out there, they call themselves insomniacs. so i wanted to join them. >> okay. you wanted to feel the same emotions that you're experiencing right now. >> it's all about the love, it's all about the love. >> yeah, right. >> we appreciate you joining us today, being up this early with us. coming up in this half hour, we'll take a look back at the life of general norman schwartzcopf and his long list of awards and honors. also this half hour, it is down to the wire in washington, d.c. yes, the fiscal cliff now just four days away. can a last-ditch meeting today really, really lead to a deal? really? >> i hope so, because i'm heading to washington tomorrow. but we're going to bring you another story. you're going to want to see this. a daycare burglary that turns into child's play. oh, moon, this boils my blood. the christmas day thieves whose clowning around was all caught on tape. >> unbelievable. yeah, that was one of them riding a little kid's tricycle. later on, britney spears is back. she may be saying goodbye to a

$15 million reality tv paycheck. and why this may not be her only personal drama this morning. we have details coming up in "the skinny" and she's part of half of "the skinny" today. britney spears has a lot going on. >> making headlines. first, though, the nation is remembering a war hero this morning. general norman schwartzcopf died yesterday after battling pneumonia. >> president obama called the retired general an american original who stood tall for his country and had a love for the army that he led. answer's chuck seaverson looks back at this military legend. >> reporter: in 1990, norman schwartzcopf was a little known u.s. army general looking ahead to retirement. then saddam hussein invaded neighboring kuwait and stormin' norman became a household name. schwartzcopf quickly turned into the face of the u.s.-led counterattack called operation desert storm to evict the iraqi invaders. >> it's impossible to say how long it's going to take. but let me put it this way, it's

going to take as long as it takes for the iraqis to get out of kuwait and the united nations resolutions to be enforced. >> reporter: a six-week campaign of aerial bombardment, culminating in a ground offensive routing the iraqis in 100 hours. >> now it looks like not only their air force, but their navy is being told to get out of the war. >> reporter: norman schwartzcopf was a west point graduate who spent his whole career in the army. he was a war hero in vietnam, where he earned three silver stars, three bronze stars and two purple hearts. he returned from the persian gulf a national hero. president george h.w. bush presented him the medal of freedom. president bush issued a statement calling norman schwartzcopf a true american patriot and one of the great military leaders of his generation. in retirement, schwartzcopf declined calls to run for office, devoting himself to public speaking and charity work. he leaves his wife and three children. norman schwartzcopf was 78. chuck sivertsen, abc news, new york. >> he was known for being

opinionated and brave, the kind of guy you want on your side. >> there's no question, when you think about the first persian gulf war, that was the defining war for millions of americans because there had been a break, and then america went back to war. he became a household name. >> stormin' norman is hard to forget. that's a great nickname. >> we can all remember turning on the tv and seeing the bombs dropping saying okay, it's for real now. he was the person who led america right through all that. >> going to be missed. in other news, with just four days to go, president obama and the top lawmakers meet today at the white house on the fiscal cliff. any compromise is expected to include an extension of the middle class tax cuts with increased rates at upper incomes. spending cuts could also be canceled. ahead of those talks, plenty of blame is being spread around already. >> john boehner seems to care more about keeping his speakership than keeping the nation on firm financial footing. >> hopefully there's time for an agreement of some kind.

>> speaker john boehner called the house back into session for a highly unusual sunday evening session just in case. an unexpected consequence of the fiscal cliff stalemate could mean sticker shock at your grocery store. milk prices could soon spike to $8 a gallon. wow. congress has been so bogged down with the fiscal cliff, the farm bill is still on the table. if congress does not pass it, dairy subsidies would immediately end on january 1, and those subsidies have been keeping milk prices low for 63 years. the price of curbside parking in chicago is going up january 1. parking meters will charge $6.50 an hour in the downtown area. chicago will have the highest parking meter rates in the country, staking the dubious distinction away from san francisco. congratulations. chicago outsourced its parking meters to a private company and many drivers question that question now. now to some surveillance video from houston. trust me, when you see this, you're going to want these bad

guys put away for a long time. the gang of thieves ripped off a daycare center. three or four young men were captured on surveillance camera. there's one right there. going in, they shattered the glass door, then stole six tvs and several game consoles. that ain't all. and one thief took the time to hop on a tiny tricycle and ride it around the yard of the building. >> it's a total lack of respect. unfortunately, i think that's the mentality these days. >> the owner says he's hoping everyone involved in the burglary will be spending next christmas in jail. to that, i'm sure we all say amen. amen. air travel is starting to get back to normal after that deadly winter storm tapered off. but the cleanup job goes on for parts of the northeast, just pounded by the drenching downpours and record snow. abc's john schiffen reports. >> reporter: whiteout conditions in ohio.

and this pickup truck in southern illinois. struggling just to clear a path. the winter blast now accounting for 15 deaths. most of them on the nation's roads, where black ice led to accident after accident. >> i've lost count of the number of cars i've seen in the ditch. i saw a jackknifed tracker trailer, a horse trailer turned over. >> reporter: the northeast was digging out. this man spent hours trying to rescue his car here in syracuse. what is it like dealing with this much snow? >> a lot of agony. a lot of back breaking. >> reporter: mother nature is wreaking havoc in the skies. on new york's long island, this southwest airlines plane skidded off the runway, getting stuck in the mud. 129 passengers evacuated safely. >> swis we just made your day very exciting. at least ours is going to be. we just taxied into the grass. >> reporter: and right outside the snow zone but still in nature's path, sea bright, new

jersey. a town already battered by hurricane sandy. the streets flooded again. and back here in syracuse, crews have cleared many of the main roads, moving these mountains of snow. but the fear now is that temperatures drop and the slush will turn to ice, making travel more difficult. authorities say if you don't have to be out here, stay home. john slifen, abc news. >> john braving those winter storms to bring you that story. colder weather is on the way this weekend. >> it is a one-two punch for travelers out there. we continue now with meteorologist jim dicky. good morning, jim. >> good morning. our next storm system taking shape through the day. in the form of two storms. one area of low pressure rolling out of the gulf of mexico, bringing rain to the lower mississippi valley. stronger storms in the afternoon in southern louisiana. and a weak area of low pressure tracks its way out of the midwest, bringing light snow across the great lakes. the two combine forces here. through the night, we'll see 1 to 3 inches in the ohio valley.

brandi and muhammad, back to you. in pasadena, california, not only are the stanford cardinals and the wisconsin badgers getting ready for tuesday's rose bowl game, workers are putting together the beautiful floats that will be in the tournament of roses parade. >> this is so cool to see in person behind the scenes. 41 floats will be part of the parade. the work started on most of the floats after the rose parade back in january. yeah, they start then. amazingly, each float will be decorated with more flowers than the average florist uses in five years. i have to tell you, i've seen it behind the scenes. each of -- when you see colors, it's not just a flower. they have millions of tiny little colored seeds that they will put down in certain areas. it's just stunning. and then a lot of these are for charity as well, which is fantastic. pretty cool to see. >> you know why she can say all that, right? because you're bicoastal. >> i am bicoastal. thank you for putting in the rose parade everyone here in new york.

it touches my heart because i live on the west coast in l.a. >> it is a great parade. >> do you guys watch it out here as much as we do in l.a.? yeah? i'm getting nods. willis? >> yeah. >> thank you. good to know, because everyone stays glued to the tv every year. and i always wonder is it just us californians? >> new york can be the center of the world 364 days of the year. >> we watch the parades here, right? thanksgiving day parade. so, hey. coming up, the viral video of a talented athlete that could lead to an nfl job. also, why yoga is not just for grownups anymore. yeah, take a look. why kid's yoga classes may be making a real difference. you're watching "world news now." ...but he'd wait for her forever, for any reason, and would always be there with the biggest welcome home. for a love this strong, dawn only feeds him iams. compared to other leading brands, it has 50% more animal protein. ...to help keep rocky's body

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♪ you're a natural with that in your hand. >> i'm not a natural. in canada, we have three downs, not four. >> you've got to have the fourth. >> we had a league where two teams had the same name for 20 years. >> oh, canada. >> they told us not to forget this, so we will remember to stamp right here, because this is our favorite story of the day. a football hero in the making. >> as if tim tebow hasn't been enough of a sideshow for the new york jets, check out who they may have on their team next year. abc's nick watt got a kick out of him. >> reporter: he's never actually played football, but he can do this and this with a pig skin.

the life long soccer player with a killer left foot, he bought his first football last year when his soccer team disbanded. >> it was either find a new team or find a new hobby. that's why i started kicking. >> reporter: and he made this youtube video. that's his brother catching from the sunroof of a moving car. he admits, some kicks took multiple takes. hundreds of thousands of hits later, an e-mail arrives from the new york jets, inviting this norwegian novist to try out for the team. did you ever think it would lead to this? >> no, never. it was like something to do for myself and my dog. >> reporter: his training and trial went well. he can nail field goals from 57, 58 yards. >> he's got ability, but you don't know what you have until you're in a crucial situation. >> reporter: they brought him back for another look. and who wouldn't want a kicker who can do this? and this?

nick watt, abc news, los angeles. >> that guy's good! >> thank you, willis. the question is, can he do it in front of millions when the pressure is on? >> the lesson, any time you do something cool, put it on youtube. because you might wind up in the nfl. i'm just saying. coming up, whoops, she did it again. britney surrounded by drama and in her personal life. >> and the latest set of co-stars who met on the seat have become a hollywood item. it's next in "the skinny." skippy."

♪ skinny, so skinny you've got a good voice. >> oh, yeah. you don't want to hear me sing anything else. not as good as britney spears. >> she's got a good voice, no question she's got a good voice. but she's in the news again, this time for reasons that you might not want to be on the news. her "x factor" gig looking like it could be a one and done type of thing. some reports saying she's about to get the boot as a judge. producers say they wanted her from the beginning but now think it's just not working. don't know if you know this, but britney spears signed a $15 million contract for the show. according to one source, simon

cowell, who is pretty authoritative when it comes to these sort of things, he said, and i quote, he wanted crazy britney but got boring britney instead. >> she's healthy now. he wants her to shave her said on the set? >> i think a little bit of crazy britney might raise the ratings a bit. entertaining, no question about that. and that leads to our second thing, which also has to do with britney spears. >> why not? >> we're just going down that hill and we ain't stopping. so yesterday we brought you that report some suggestions saying that kevin federline's brother was allegedly coming out saying that he was the father of their child. well, now, those reports seem to be inaccurate. it was "us weekly" that obtained the papers by the singer's brother who filed a lawsuit saying he was the real father. sources are now telling "us weekly" that the documents appear to have been doctored. >> so christopher federline is

not the father. >> as far as we know. yesterday we were talking about going on maury povich or some show. that's just another twist. get that woman a reality tv show, please. >> she could totally do it. speaking of tv shows, there's been this long running feud between david letterman and jay leno. they kind of don't like each other and rag on each other a little bit. now david letterman is confessing all and to whom? oprah winfrey. >> i think he's the funniest guy i've ever known, just flat out. if you go to see him do a nightclub act, just the funniest. the smartest, wonderful observations. and very appealing as a comic. therefore, the fact that he's also maybe the most insecure person i've ever known, i could never reconcile that. >> there you go. not only am i going to give you a compliment about how you're the funniest guy i've ever known, you're also the most insecure. how will leno respond? who knows?

but they've been going back and forth for quite some time. finally in "the skinny," there is another hollywood hookup. shia labeouf getting it on with his nymphomaniac co-star mmpx mia goth. >> nymphomaniac, that's the people who set things on fire, right? >> no, it's not. that has to do with love, a little bit of love. >> i tried to get her to define it. >> a lot of love, right, willis? i don't want to call her a nymphomaniac because it's the name of their movie. that's what they're starring in together, so this is like that brad and angelina thing where you're on a movie together, hooking up a little bit. the movie is called "nymphomaniac." they fell in love and that's now the new hollywood couple making the rounds. >> so it's just the movie called "nymphomaniac?" >> yes. i don't want to say anything about mia goth. you can do anything you like when you're in love. you can say it, willis.

coming up, yoga's newest growing demographic. they're younger than ever. >> we're going to show you the video right when we come back. why do toys for tots and hasbro trust duracell to power their donated toys? duralock power preserve. it locks in power for up to 10 years in storage. guaranteed. duracell with duralock. trusted everywhere.

♪ that is very nice and calming. >> very zen music. finally this hour, the cow face pose, and the ever popular downward facing dog. if you're just joining us, no, i'm not talking about shia labeouf. we're talking about yoga. >> h's interesting about this is the newest group doing it more and more is also the youngest. here's a look. >> reporter: some say yoga is the fastest growing sport in the nation, with an estimated 20 million people practicing regularly. the latest trend is an ever growing number are pint-sized.

there are yoga classes for infants up to teenagers. there are even classes for toddlers like my daughter. >> you're still going to see the foundations of yoga, so there's going to be an awareness of movement and anatomy and breath. there's such a tremendous amount of creativity and there's inner play between the children and teacher. >> reporter: i'm here with a group of 6 to 9-year-olds who are showing me a little bit what a kid's yoga class is like. >> one leg comes up, the other. >> it's going to be a little sillier, more playful. kids are stressed. with social pressures and pressures in school. >> it clears your mind of things that really bothers you. >> i don't have to worry about all my problems. >> reporter: parents should look for a registered children's yoga instructor. a good start is the yoga alliance website. don't be afraid to ask a lot of

questions and develop a relationship with the teacher. experts and parents say the benefits extend well beyond the studio. >> after she's done with the class, she's much more eager to go home and sit and do her homework and be more focused. >> there's also great resources online and through books and dvds. so whether you're in a small community or larger community, you can still integrate a lot of the practices and teachings of kid's yoga. >> the light in you i see. >> it's my understanding that you actually do yoga. >> i used to do yoga for a long time. i need to get back into it. have you done yoga yourself? >> look at that pose. do you get muscles like that from yoga? >> actually, that is really me. that is really me. >> wow! you could pose for a magazine in that shot, my friend.